Multiple recorder color ribbon mounting



1962 H. e. DEYLIUS 3,07

MULTIPLE RECORDER COLOR RIBBON MOUNTING Filed Oct. 11, 1960 INVENTOR BYw/eafdd;

AGENT means.

lnite The invention relates to a multiple recording instrument in which the graphic records are made in different colours on a moving strip of paper and which is provided with a printing element which is periodically moved at right angles to the direction of movement of the paper and parallel to the surface of the paper so as to assume positions depending upon the values measured and to be recorded, the end of the printing element in the position to be recorded striking a colouring material which is interposed between the paper and this end and is locally pressed against the paper by this end. The outer dimensions of such measuring apparatus are standardized and it has been found in practice that owing to the likewise standardized width of the paper strip there is comparatively little room for the colouring material and the associated transmission Furthermore the requirement is to be satisfied that this material must be readily replaceable. According to the invention, a measuring instrument of the kind described is characterized in that the number of ribbons of colouring material is equal to the number of different values to 'be recorded by the instrument in a number of different colours, said ribbons being uniformly distributed along the circumference of a circle, arranged parallel to a shaft and connected to this shaft so as to form a cageshaped member, while the shaft extends parallel to the width of the paper and performs a periodic rotation moven ent which is in synchronism with, and phase-shifted with respect to, the movement of the pressure element, the spacing between the ribbons being such as to enable the pressure element to move between two ribbons in a direction at right angles to the shaft. This provides an arrangement which occupies little space and in which the member carrying the colouring material is readily replaceable as a whole.

' In an embodiment of the invention the colouring material comprises ink-impregnated textile ribbons.

A further embodiment of the invention is characterized in that two discs are mounted on the periodically revolving shaft symmetrically with respect to the riddle of the shaft. All ribbons having their ends at one end of the shaft are secured to a corresponding disc, each disc having a central aperture which slightly exceeds the shaft diameter. Between these discs two other discs are rigidly mounted on the shaft so as to be spaced from one another by a'distance which is at least equal to the recording width of the paper which has a diameter smaller than the loose discs, a pressure spring under suitable tension being interposed between each loose disc and the associated fixed disc. This embodiment permits a constant ribbon tension so that in recording the ribbon can be pressed against the paper at the edges without exerting a large force, while the cage-shaped member may be spaced from the paper by a predetermined distance so as to prevent the latter from being marked in rotation.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the loose disc is shaped in the form of a regular polygon having a number of angles equal to the number of ribbons of colouring material, each straight side being provided with a recess in which a ribbon is arranged while the diameter of the inscribed circle tangent to the inside of each ribbon exceeds the diameter of the fast discs. This provides the advantage that the ribbons of colouring material cannot States Patent 3,070,799 Patented Dec. 25, 1962 be displaced along the circumference of the loose discs.

In an embodiment of the invention each loose disc comprises two discs secured to one another between which the ribbon ends are disposed. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the inner disc of each pair of loose discs is provided with teeth which are uniformly distributed along the circumference, are pressed from the disc body and connected therewith, the number of the teeth being equal to the number of ribbons while each tooth holds the end of a ribbon, the outer disc being provided with a number of apertures which are aligned with the teeth, the two discs and the interposed ribbon ends being united to form an integral unit by the teeth being bent over.

In another er. bodiment of the invention, the measuring instrument is provided with means for causing one of the outer discs to perform a continuous reciprocating movement in the direction of length of the shaft which is not in synchronism with the periodic rotation of the shaft. This prevents excessive wear of the colouring material on repeated recording of a substantially constant measured value. In a further embodiment of the invention, this periodic movement is preferably obtained by the provision of a revolving cam which revolves at a speed different from the speed of the shaft and bears against the outer side of one of the loose discs.

The invention also relates to a member provided with ribbons of colouring material to be mounted in a rrultiple self-recording measuring instrument and of the above described design.

The invention will be described more fully with reference to a drawing which illustrates an embodiment of the invention and in which FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a holder provided with colouring material and arranged in the upper part of a multiple recording instrument,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation taken on the line IIII of FIG. 1, viewed in the direction of the associated arrows,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III of FIG. 1, likewise viewed in the direction of the respective arrows.

In FIG. 1, reference numerals 1 and 2 denote two side plates of a multiple recording instrument. This instrument contains a continuously revolving graduated paper strip 3 on which six values must be periodically recorded in different colours. A shaft 4 is supported in the side plate 2 by means of a journal 5; at the other end a similar journal 6 is supported in a screw cap 7 which is screwed in the side plate 1 and is provided with a slot 8 so that the shaft 4 can readily be removed from the instru ent by unscrewing the cap 7. The shaft is periodically driven in a non-specified manner through a gearwheel 9 rigidly mounted on the shaft. Two discs 10 and 11 are rigid y mounted on the shaft 4. Near the ends of the shaft 4, which are each provided with a flattened part 25, two discs '12 and 13 are arranged which each have a central aperture slightly exceeding the shaft diameter and which are prevented from revolving about the shaft by the flattened part 25 and the corresponding shape of the apertures. A slightly tensioned pressure spring 14 is interposed between the discs 10 and 12; at the other end a similar pressure spring 15 is interposed between the discs 11 and 13. The discs 12 and 13 each comprise two discs 16 and 17. The discs 16 (cf. FIG. 2) each have six teeth 18 partly pressed out of the disc which are passed through apertures 19 of discs 17 and subsequently bent over. The discs 16 are in the form of regular polygons; centrally of each side a recess 21 is provided while between the loose discs 12 and 13 six textile ribbons 20 impregnated with printing ink are stretched which lie in the recesses 21 and are differently coloured. The ends of these ribbons are hooked on the teeth 18 before the latter were bent over so that the ends are interposed between the two discs 16 and 3 18. The disc 13 is similarly built. Thus, the colour ribbons are firmly fastened and are stretched by the springs 14 and 15 while they are securely held in position by the recesses 21. The instrument further contains a roller 2 mounted eccentrically on a shaft 23 and continuously driven.

A punch 24 (cf. FIG. 3) shown diagrammatically is periodically moved in retracted position in the direction of'width of the paper in a non-specified manner. At the instant of a recording, the punch pivots about a shaft (not shown) so that its end passes between two colour ribbons to strike the colour ribbon positioned over the paper. Since the discs 12 and 13 are loose, they can assume the oblique position shown in FIG. 1 permitting the end of the punch 24 to press the colour ribbon 20 against the paper so that a recording mark is printed thereon. The same recording may frequently be made at the same point so that one colour ribbon may locally be subjected to heavier wear than the other ribbons. However, by means of the roller 22 which revolves out of synchronism with the shaft 4 the disc 12 continually slightly changes its position so that the disc 13 also changes its position each time. Hence, a different area of the colour ribbon is struck each time by the punch to print a record at the same point of the paper so that there is no excessive wear.

The cage comprising the ribbons can readily be exchanged; furthermore it has been found in practice that in a recording instrument for six values which was in continuous operation the colour ribbons had to be replaced only after from 2 to 3 months. The operator may hirr self mount new colour ribbons; however, it is simpler to throw away the entire cage with the ribbons and to mount a new cage.

In such a multiple recording instrument the outer dimensions of which are standardized, as is the width of the paper, comparatively little room is available for the member enabling the various recordings to be made in different colours. The design described occupies very little room, is readily exchangeable and can be manufactured cheaply.

What is claimed is:

1. A multiple recording instrument provided with a 1r oving strip of a substance adapted to be written on comprising a rotatable shaft, a printing element, a plurality of ribbons of coloring material, a loosely mounted disc on either end of said shaft for mounting said ribbons circumferentially around said shaft and extending sub stantially parallel thereto, a pair of fixed discs spatially A mounted on said shaft intermediate of said loose discs, a pair of compression springs each having one end engaging a fixed disc and the other end urging said loose disc outwardly, means moving said printing element periodically in a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of said moving strip and into engagement with "a selected ribbon, the latter being pressed against said between two of said ribbons in a direction substantially at right angles to said shaft.

2. A multiple recording instrument as claimed in claim 1 wherein said loose discs are in the form of a polygon, the number of sides thereof corresponding to the number of ribbons of coloring material, each of said sides being provided with a recess in which the end of a ribbon is secured, the diameter of an imaginary inscribed circle tangent to the inner side of each ribbon exceeding the diameters of said rigidly mounted discs.

3. A multiple recording instrurrent as claimed in claim 1 wherein each loose disc comprises two separate elements that are secured together and between which the ribbon ends are interposed.

4. A multiple recording instrument as claimed in claim 3 wherein the inner element of each loose disc is provided with a plurality of circularly arranged teeth, the number of teeth being equal to the number of ribbons, the outer element of each loose disc being provided with a number of apertures corresponding to the number of said teeth, the ribbon ends being secured -by said teeth projecting through corresponding apertures in said outer element.

5. A multiple recording instrument provided with a moving strip of a substance adapted to be written on comprising a rotatable shaft, a plurality of ribbons of coloring material, a loosely rrounted disc on either end of said shaft for mounting said ribbons circumferentially around said shaft and extending substantially parallel thereto, each loose disc being constituted of two separate elements secured together, a pair of fixed discs spatially mounted on said shaft intermediate of said loose discs, a pair of compression springs each having one end engaging a fixed disc and the other end urging said loose disc outwardly, a printing element, means moving said printing element periodically in a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of said moving strip and into engagement with a selected ribbon, the latter being pressed against said strip for printing in colors thereon, the movement of said shaft being in synchronism with the movement of said printing element, the ribbons being spaced from one another by a distance such that the printing element may pass between two of said ribbons in a direction substantially at right angles to said shaft, and means for causing one of the elements of said loose disc to perform a continuous reciprocating movement in the direction of length of said shaft, said movement not being synchronous with the rotation of said shaft.

6. A multiple recording instrument as claimed in claim 5 wherein said last mentioned means is a rotating cam which bears against the outer surface of one of the elements of said loose disc.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,211,491 Seidler Jan. 9, 1917 1,660,921 Fischer Feb. 28, 1928 2,505,779 Long May 2, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 135,959 Germany Nov. 13, 1902 224,991 Switzerland Apr. 1, 1943 

